Physiology Seminar: Dr. Svetlana Komarova "The role of extracellular ATP and its derivatives in responses of bone cells to physical forces" "

Physical forces are critical for the development, maintenance, and adaptation of various tissues in the body including bone. Bone adapts to mechanical loads through actions of bone cells: osteoclasts that specialize in bone resorption; osteoblasts that produce bone; and osteocytes embedded in bone matrix that sense mechanical forces and coordinate bone adaptation. ATP is a ubiquitous intracellular molecule critical for cellular bioenergetics, which is also one of the first signals released from bone cells that experience mechanical stimulation. Extracellular ATP is degraded by ecto-ATPases to form ADP and eventually adenosine. I will discuss our studies investigating how spatiotemporal signals provided by extracellular ATP and ADP may encode the information regarding severity, scale and proximity of the mechanical stimulus, allowing for a well-choreographed tissue responses to physical forces.

This seminar will take place in-person and online (details in attached poster below). All are welcome!